Do or Die (Dropkick Murphys album)

Do or Die
Studio album by
Dropkick Murphys
Released1998
Recorded1997, the Outpost, Stoughton, Massachusetts
Genre
Length40:07
LabelHellcat
ProducerLars Frederiksen
Dropkick Murphys chronology
Boys on the Docks
(1997) 		Do or Die
(1998) 		The Gang's All Here
(1999)

Do or Die is the debut studio album by the Celtic punk band Dropkick Murphys. It was released in 1998. A music video for the single "Barroom Hero" was released. It is the only album that featured original lead vocalist Mike McColgan, who went on to become a fireman before forming his own band, the Street Dogs.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Chicago Sun-Times[4]
Daily Herald[5]
The San Diego Union-Tribune[6]
Spin[7]
The Virginian-Pilot(favorable)[8]

The Washington Post noted that "combining the Clash and the Pogues may not be an especially clever maneuver, but the result is certainly rousing."[9] The Telegram & Gazette wrote that "the band strikes an earnest pose that champions anyone wearing a blue collar, be it one below a scally cap or shaved head."[10] AllMusic gave Do or Die a rating of three stars out of five, and said that the album was "an interesting blend of hardcore-style punk with traditional Irish inflections."[1]

In other media

A Do or Die poster appears on the wall of John Connor's bedroom in the pilot episode of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. "Barroom Hero" was used in the final credits of the documentary Restrepo. "Never Alone" was featured in the Extreme sports video game Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX. "Cadence to Arms" was featured in "College", the fifth episode of season one of The Sopranos.

Track listing

Many songs were a collaborative effort.

  1. "Cadence to Arms" (Instrumental) (Traditional, reworked from "Scotland the Brave") – 1:49
  2. "Do or Die" (Barton, McColgan) – 1:50
  3. "Get Up" (Barton, Casey, McColgan) – 2:06
  4. "Never Alone" (Barton, Casey) – 2:54
  5. "Caught in a Jar" (Barton, McColgan) – 2:19
  6. "Memories Remain" (Casey, Kelly) – 2:25
  7. "Road of the Righteous" (Barton, McColgan) – 2:56
  8. "Far Away Coast" (Barton, Casey, McColgan) – 2:41
  9. "Fightstarter Karaoke" (Barton, Casey) – 2:18
  10. "Barroom Hero" (Casey) – 2:57
  11. "3rd Man In" (Barton, Casey) – 2:18
  12. "Tenant Enemy #1" (Barton, Casey, Kelly, McColgan) – 2:13
  13. "Finnegan's Wake" (Traditional) – 2:19
  14. "Noble" (Barton, Casey, Kelly, McColgan) – 2:34
  15. "Boys on the Docks" (Murphys' Pub Version) (Barton, Casey) – 2:33
  16. "Skinhead on the MBTA" (Traditional, reworked from M.T.A.) (Barton, Casey) – 3:49

Personnel

References

  1. ^ a b c Huey, Steve. Do or Die at AllMusic. Retrieved 20 June 2011.
  2. ^ "Dropkick Murphys - Boys on the Docks (1997)". Punknews.org. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  3. ^ Moran, Chris. "Dropkick Murphys - Do or Die". Punknews.org. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  4. ^ DeRogatis, Jim (1998-01-18). "Spin Control". Chicago Sun-Times. Chicago. Retrieved 2024-03-05 – via ProQuest.
  5. ^ Webb, Adam (1998-01-16). "Hellcat Records' new ska albums perk up stale music scene". Daily Herald. Arlington Heights. ProQuest 309711722. Retrieved 2024-03-05 – via ProQuest.
  6. ^ Healy, James (1998-02-12). "Album Reviews - Short Takes - Punk". The San Diego Union-Tribune. San Diego. Retrieved 2024-03-05 – via Access World News.
  7. ^ Eddy, Chuck (1998-04-01). "Reviews". Spin. Vol. 14, no. 4. New York. pp. 124–125. ProQuest 1286667243. Retrieved 2024-03-05 – via ProQuest.
  8. ^ Maisey, Jeff (1998-01-02). "CD Reviews". The Virginian-Pilot. Norfolk. Retrieved 2024-03-05 – via Access World News.
  9. ^ Jenkins, Mark (1998-02-27). "The Dropkick Murphys - Do or Die". Washington Post. Washington. ProQuest 408342820. Retrieved 2024-03-05 – via ProQuest.
  10. ^ McLennan, Scott (8 Jan 1998). "Dropkick Murphys resuscitating punk on the East Coast". Telegram & Gazette. p. C4.